“it’s a horrible thing to happen to him and his family”
A 59-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
A teenage boy killed in a crash involving an e-bike earlier today (July 22) has been named as Devon Simmonds.
The 15-year-old lost his life after police were called to reports of the collision on Rowrah Crescent in Middleton shortly before midday.
Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. His family are being supported by officers, say GMP.
A 59-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and and remains in custody for questioning. Furthermore, another 15-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of theft as part of the investigation.
One neighbour who knew the boy and his family well, told the Manchester Evening News: “This involves the family of my friend. When something like this happens you just try to keep out of the way because it’s a sad thing.”
Another resident who said they knew of the teenager said: “He was a top, top lad. Lived on this estate all his life and a lot of people knew him.
“He was very respectable, obviously it’s a horrible thing to happen to him and his family.”
Officers are working to establish the full circumstances of the incident and are investigating allegations of a theft in the events leading up to the collision.
Detective Chief Inspector Christopher Dean, from GMP’s Rochdale district, said: “This terrible incident has seen the death of a teenage boy, and we are working hard to establish the full facts of this case, in what is the very early stages of an investigation.
“A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and will be questioned in due course, while officers are already in place to support the family of the boy who has died today.
“I want to remind people that at the heart of this is a grieving family, and I would ask the community to not speculate on social media while we piece together the events of earlier today.
“As our work progresses, I would ask anyone with information to please come forward – whether you witnessed anything or have any dashcam, CCTV, or doorbell footage from the area.”
You can contact police via 101 or our Live Chat service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1364 of 22/07/25.
Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.